Day of Prayer for Botswana-April 28

 

Prayer Items for Botswana

1. Pray for the Baptist Convention Seminary in Gaborone, Botswana. Pray that many people will be trained to pastor and lead the churches throughout Botswana with a solid foundation built on the truth of the Bible. 

 

2. Pray for the students and staff at the University of Botswana. We have been trying to get a ministry started on campus, but Covid halted those plans. Pray for God's timing. 

 

 

3. Pray for the villages of Ditshegwane (Dee-say-wah-knee) and Dutlwe (Doo-kway) where we have had 2 successful church plants. Pray the Lord would continue to spiritually grow these believers. 

 

4. Pray for the village of Takothokwane where there is a boarding school with over 1600 students. The principal would like Brent to  start doing Leadership Training classes. 

 

5. Pray for the children's ministry at Gaborone Baptist Church. We have not been able to meet as a group in over a year but instead have to visit the kids one on one in their homes. Pray for health and protection for the kids. Church is an outlet and escape for many of these kids stuck in unhealthy home lives. Pray the kids would continue to grow in their knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. 

 

6. Pray for our pastors. Many of them hold secondary jobs in addition to being a full time pastor and both areas where funds come in are suffering due to Covid. Many of them have started farming to provide for their families. Pray the Lord would help us know how to help them through farming/agriculture. 

7. Pray for our family-Brent, Amanda  , Bradyn, Taylor, and Ellie as we strive to do the BEST things the Lord would have us to do as there is so much need. 

 

8. Pray for our colleagues Coye and Sherra Still who are in the States for a medical situation. 

 

Ellie

Our sweet Ellie just keeps us on our toes. She insists on dressing herself and putting on makeup every morning...we try to stress the ‘less is more’ principle but she hasn’t really grasped that concept yet. 

She certainly has us all wrapped around her little finger and brings our family so much joy. She recently learned to ride her bike and decided she wants to marry her brother 😉 Love our Ellie Belly ❤️

Friends

 With all of the Covid restrictions at school, Bradyn doesn’t get to see his really good friends often as they are in a different class so not allowed to sit together at break time. The kids just finished their first term at school and have a month long break, so we invited his friends over for a day of fun and hanging out. They rode quads and we went kayaking at the Gaborone Dam. Yes there are crocs in the dam but as we have been told they are further down, so we may have jumped in (again please don’t judge 🙈). Such a fun day of forgetting about Covid and enjoying friends. As one of Bradyn’s friends mom was tucking their son into bed that night she said ‘I am so glad you had a great day’ and her sons response was ‘it wasn’t a great day, it was the best day ever!’ Mission accomplished ❤️

 

Happy birthday, Brent!

 March 21 we celebrated one of my favorite humans on the planet’s birthday. For 3 months out of the year, I am not the ‘older woman’ and we are the same age 😉 so thankful for his fun adventurous spirit and his love for Jesus and his family. Happy 42nd birthday, Brent!

Easter

Easter is a time that we celebrate our risen Savior and His magnificent power over death...the grave could not hold Him. We love doing the ‘Resurrection Eggs’ from Lifeway each Easter morning and finding that the last egg is empty, representing Christ’s empty tomb.

We also enjoyed a visit from the Easter bunny...please don’t judge that the 3rd child was consuming a whole chocolate bunny before 7am 🙈 She ran into our bedroom as 6:30am yelling with such JOY ‘the Easter bunny came’ and proceeded to wake the rest of the house up to spread the news. This reminds me so much of the story of the Resurrection that we read in Matthew 28 and the excitement they must have felt when they approached the empty tomb where the stone had been rolled away and the angel telling them ‘He is not here, He is RISEN!’ and running to tell everyone. Oh the joy and excitement!

‘Resurrection Eggs’

Ellie’s Start to her sugar rush day 🙈

Coloring Easter Eggs

Their favorites

Even Bradyn can’t wait to see what is in his basket

Egg hunt at our friend the Xaviers home 

The big kids have always been so sweet to hold the basket as Ellie searches the house for all of the eggs the Easter bunny hid for her.